Post-positive adjective
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A post-positive adjective is an adjective that appears after the noun that it modifies. In some languages this is the normal syntax, but in English it is rare, largely confined to archaic or institutional expressions. Aplenty, galore, and the informal extraordinaire are examples of adjectives that are primarily used postpositively in modern English. Name suffixes, such as Junior and Senior, also function as postpositive adjectives modifying proper names. See the list below for postpositive adjectives used in the context of common phrases. Recognizing post-positive adjectives in English can be an issue when determining the correct plural for a compound expression.
[edit] Examples in English
- Judge Advocate
- Attorney General, Postmaster General, Surgeon General (Common Law)
- Governor-General (Commonwealth)
- fiddlers three
- president-elect
- heir apparent
- Whopper Junior
- iPod Nano
- court-martial
- Princess Royal, Astronomer Royal, battle royal
- Poet Laureate
- food aplenty
- best room available
- best choice possible
- worst choice imaginable
- times past
- time immemorial
- passer-by
- court-martial
- Knight Hospitaller
- Knight Templar
- "Astraea Redux," Apocalypse Now Redux
See also Plurals of compound nouns.
